Rome's Colosseum needs urgent restoration work

The Colosseum in Rome is in desperate need of almost £5 million of restoration work, the Italian government has announced.

Rome is calling for international sponsors to help fund the restoration of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre's crumbling facade, with the project expected to cost at least £4.5 million.

The restoration of the Colosseum is part of a broader plan to spruce up the nearby Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the jumbled collection of ruined temples and palaces which formed the heart of the Roman Empire.